There is no signage, and the public is allowed onto the saltmarsh, but too many people are getting too close to the birds. You can see it in their body language that they're uncomfortable/stressed, and the photographers think that just because the owls are just sitting there, it's ok to creep closer and closer. I think it's just that the photographers are ignorant about the birds' behaviour, but it still pisses me off when I see people chasing after the birds. It's not worth getting the shot if the animal dies soon after, like that Long Eared Owl last year that died because photographers wouldn't leave it alone. The birds are exhausted after flying down from the Arctic, and they flew down due to a food shortage up north - they need to conserve their energy to hunt, not flying away from people chasing them. The officer said that people should stay at least 50 metres away from Snowy Owls. If the birds looks away from you, then you're ok, as it doesn't feel threatened. Once it starts to keep its eye on you, or starts fidgeting, then you should back off.
O.W.L. (
Welcome to O.W.L.) already has two Snowy Owls recently admitted in their rehabilitation centre due to starvation because they didn't have the energy to hunt. One of them was found starving and they're not sure why, but the other one was from the Lower Mainland and ended up starving due to people chasing it.